Mechanical stoker



(No M04191.)

J. B. WARD. MECHANICAL STOKER.

No. 446,274. Patented Feb. 10,1891.

WITNESSES ms mums PETERS co, PHuTO-Ll'mo WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. WARD, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

SPECIFICA TION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,274, datedFebruary 10, 1891.

Application filed May 15, 1890. Serial No. 351,913. (No model.)

To all whomtt may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN B. WARD, of Minneapolis, in the county ofHennepin and State of Minnesota. have invented a new and ImprovedMechanical Stoker, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved mechanicalstoker, more especially designed for locomotives, to obviate thelaborious Work of charging the firebox with fuel, and preventing theescape of heat.

The invention consists of auinclined chute leading to the fire-box, andprovided with gates and a feed-screw having adjustable wings andconnecting the fuel-store with the chute.

The invention also consists in certainparts and details and combinationsof the same, as will be described hereinafter, and then pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is to be had to the accom panyin g drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a sectional side elevation of the improvement as applied.Fig. 2 is a transverse section of partof the same on the line a: wofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is aplan View of one of the feed-screw wings, and Fig. 4is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the coupling.

The improved mechanical stoker, as shown in the drawings, is applied toa locomotive;

but it may be equally well adapted to stationary boilers, furnaces, &c.

The mechanical Stoker-A is provided with an inclined chute B, passing atits lower end through the door-opening G into the fire-box O of theboiler D. A gate E passes into the chute B at the opening 0', so as toclose the latter'during the time the fire-box is not being charged withfuel. The gate E is hung on-acha-in F, extending upward and passing overpulleys G and G, arranged at the end of the boiler B, as is plainlyshown in Fig.1. The upper end of the chain F connects with a lever H,fulcrumed on a bracket H, secured on one side of the chute B, or on anyother part of the cab of the locomotive, into which the lever H extends,so as to be within convenient reach of the fireman. The lever H isadapted to be locked on a segment H by means of a pawl H connected withthe usual hand-lever H pivoted on the lever H.

A gate I, similar to the gate E, is arranged a suitable distance fromthe gate E in the chute B. Said gate I is mounted to slideverticallyinsuitable guideways B, formed on the sides of the chute B, as is plainlyshown in Fig. 1. nected with a chain J, which passes over a pulley Gheld on the bracket II, and then the chain passes under the pulley G andconnects with the chain F. NVhen the lever H is in the position shown inFig. 1, both gates E and I are closed; but when the operator throws thelever II to the left apull is exerted on the chain F, which by beingconnected with the chain J raises both gates E and I simultaneously, sothat the fire-box O can be charged. WVhen the lever II is thrown to-theright, the gates E and I close by their own weight. The gate I isarranged a suitable distance from the gate E,so as to prevent the fuelfrom passing onto the gate E, which when the fuel is burning-in thefire-boxO becomes very hot and would coke fuel resting on the gate Thefuel now accumulates in front of the gate I, which is protected from theheat of the fire-box. by the gate E. V The inclined chute B continues atits upper end into a horizontal extension B in which is mounted to turna feed-screw K, carrying on its shaft abevel gear-wheel L, meshing intoasimilar gear-wheel L, secured on the transversely-extending shaft Lmounted to turn in suitable hearings in the cab of the locomotive. Theshaft L is connected by suitable means with a motor of any approvedconstruction, so as to impart a rotary motion to the said shaft, whichby the gear-wheels L and L turns the feed-screw K. The outer end of the.shaft of the feed-screw K connectsby a couplingNwith the shaft of thefeed-screw 0, extending into a channel P, formed in the bottom of thesupply-store Q on the tender of fuel discharged by the feed-screw Kaccumulates in the upper part of the chute B in front .the shaft L andconsequently that of the feed-screws K and O,is stopped.

The operator then moves the lever II to the left, as previouslydescribed, so as to simultaneously raise the gates E and I to permit thefuel in the chute B to slide down into the lire-box (J, so as to chargethe latter with the proper quantity of fuel. As soon as the fuel haspassed into the lire-box the gates E and I are again closed, aspreviously descri bed, the shaft 1. is again set in motion, so that thefeed screws 0 and K again fill the upper part of the chute B, aspreviously described. The fuel remains in the chute 13 until it is againnecessary to charge the'fire-box in the manner above described. Thewings R of the feed-screws K and O are made in half-turn sections, heldadjustably by screws or other 1neans on the shafts of the, feed-screws.'The wings can thus be moved closer together or farther apart, accordingto the size of the fuel employed-as, for instance, for small coal thewings have to be closer together, while for larger coal they have to befarther apart.

Having thusdescribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is

1. In a mechanical stoker, the combination, with an inclined chuteprovided with two gates arranged one in front of the other, of afeed-screw discharging into the upper end of the said chute,substantially as shown and described.

I 2. In a mechanical stoker, the combination, with an inclined chuteleading into the tireboX, of two vertieally-reciprocating gates arrangedone in front of the other in the said .chute, one of the said gatesclosing the opening leading to the fire-box, and a lever common to bothgates, substantially as shown stantially as shown and described.

5. In a mechanical Stoker, the combination, with an inclined chutehaving a horizontal extension, ofa'feed-screw operating in the saidhorizontal extension and provided with adjustable wings of'half-turns,substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination, witha locomotive having a tender the in'n'er'sidewalls of which incline downward and inward, terminating in alongitudinal channel, of a feed-screw work- .ing in said-channel, and aninclined chute leading to the door of the fire-box above the grate-barsand receiving coal from said screw,

substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a locomotive having an inclined chute leadingto the fire-box andprovided with a horizontal section at its upper end,and a feed-screw working'in said section, of a tender having a channelregistering with said chute-section and provided with a longitudinalscrew, and a coupling uniting the adjacent ends of the twoscrew-sections, substantially asset forth.

- JOHN B. WARD. Witnesses:

R. H. VoRPAHL, \VILL JoHNsoN.

